River Hart

As the sun slowly rose in the sky, I continued walking along the straight path, with barren land stretching out on both sides.

I had been walking for two hours now, with no signs of life crossing my path except for me. But in the distance, I could see small blocks of light which I assumed were buildings of the city I was headed towards.

The air was chilly, but it didn't bother me much, even though I was only wrapped in a sheet from the bed. After three more hours of walking, I finally arrived at the entrance to the city.

Surprisingly, there were no guards stationed at the entrance, just a welcoming sign that read, 'Welcome to Valtoria.'

I couldn't help but be impressed by the city's infrastructure, with tall buildings and clean roads that were in complete contrast to the desolate land outside.

However, most of the people seemed to still be asleep, with only a few joggers giving me curious glances as I made my way towards a clothing store.

Unfortunately, the store was closed, but that didn't stop me. I sneaked around the back and broke the gate to get in. It was a decent store with a wide selection of both men's and women's clothing.

I chose a set of clothes - a dark grey t-shirt, black joggers, and black sports shoes - and removed the tags before putting them on.

Examining myself in the mirror, I could see that my appearance had improved a lot. While I still looked old, my formerly skeletal frame had gained some bulk, and I had a few muscles.

My shoulders were broad, and I had a decent amount of hair, giving me the appearance of an old geezer who had a way with married women.

Before leaving the store, I grabbed a black cotton jacket considering everyone I saw in the city wore a jacket or sweater and walked out the way I came in, deciding to take a walk around the city and explore my new surroundings.

One thing that fascinated me was the women here. Unlike the underworld where women had horns, different coloured skin and a nasty way of living, women here were a beauty.

During a one-hour session of walking around the city, almost everything fascinated me but I never showed my emotions. I noticed a commotion in front of a short-height building with the words 'Parking Lot' written on it and decided to investigate.

"What happened here?", I asked in a steady tone, and that came off pretty domineering considering my age and physique.

"Another murder, this is the eighth murder of this week", a man in his forties replied. Every person gathered here was a man, women didn't seem to participate in such matters here probably.

I stepped forward where most of the people were reluctant to go and stood just behind the temporary barrier set up by the patrol here.

A lot of blood was spewed in the parking area, and a woman with her lower portion missing was lying with her eyes wide open.

The marks on her body indicated the work of a monster, a creature whose only purpose is to devour humans. It was as if she had lost all hope and succumbed to the darkness.

It was faint but I could sense the dark sinister energy around her, the same energy I had sensed in this body when I woke up. Wounds were different, and methods of killing were different but the source was the same.

The sound of sirens wailing resounded around me as three cars with red and blue lightings in front and top stopped at the scene.

People wearing a uniform with Valtoria Police written on the heart pocket stepped out.

They made their way through the crowd. "Everyone, the police will look into this matter, we request you all step back from the crime scene", a man in his thirties with, a pretty impressive physique shouted as he crossed the barrier.

'Looks like this world isn't as peaceful as I thought', I thought as I walked away from the scene and took some wallets from the pocket of the men at the scene.

"Well, this cash can help me get through for a while", I muttered with a sigh. I lacked identity and money.

I carefully kept the cash in my pocket and walked into The Grand Horizon, a decent hotel with an air of luxury.

As I approached the reception area, a young woman in her twenties, with long black hair and a professional and lustrous demeanour greeted me.

"Good morning, sir. Welcome to The Grand Horizon," she said, bowing slightly.

"Morning Lady," I replied. "I would like to inquire about renting a room."

"Certainly, sir. We have three different types of suites available: the Classic, the Premiere, and the Royal. The Classic suite is priced at 100 aurums per night, the Premiere at 300 aurums, and the Royal at 1000 aurums per night."

"Interesting. Could you please tell me more about the amenities offered in the Royal suite?" I asked, even though I had no interest in saving the money I had at the moment.

"Of course, sir. The Royal suite offers a wide range of amenities, including priority services, round-the-clock dining, enhanced security measures, and complete privacy within your suite. Additionally, the Royal suite boasts a regal appearance and luxurious furnishings," the receptionist explained in a professional tone.

"I see. Then the royal suite it is, for two nights," I replied, considering my options.

The receptionist appeared surprised by my choice, but maintained her composure.

"Certainly sir, that would be two thousand aurums," she said, quoting the price.

"Would it be okay if I pay in cash, and I certainly don't want to provide any identification documents due to personal reasons," I asked politely.

"No problem sir, identification documents are not required here unless you pay in cheques," she assured me.

"Perfect," I said, as I counted out the required amount from the cash I had acquired earlier from various wallets.

"What name should I enter in the system, sir?" the receptionist asked, indicating that I could use a fake name if I wished.

"Sign me up as River Hart," I replied confidently.

"Thank you, sir, and once again, welcome to the Grand Horizon. Our staff member here will lead you to your suite and provide you with the access card," she said, gesturing towards a smartly-dressed man who had just arrived by my side.